Open Road Films has just released the brand new poster for JOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs. JOBS is the extraordinary story of Steve Jobs; the original innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur who let nothing stand in the way of greatness. Check out the brand new poster for JOBS to catch a glimpse of the man who blazed a trail that changed technology -- and the world – forever.

Synopsis: The new 3D stop-motion and CG hybrid animated feature is a comedic fable that unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend residents have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are an underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells. The Boxtrolls have raised an orphaned human boy, Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright), since infancy as one of their dumpster-diving and mechanical junk-collecting own. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by villainous pest exterminator Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), who is bent on eradicating them as his ticket to Cheesebridge society, the kindhearted band of tinkerers must turn to their adopted charge and adventurous rich girl Winnie (Elle Fanning) to bridge two worlds amidst the winds of change – and cheese.

Landmark Theaters across the country, along with the Angelika in Dallas and the Los Feliz theater in Los Angeles have curated a film series for the month of July, presenting an iconic coming-of-age film each week leading up to theatrical release of THE SPECTACULAR NOW (August 2). An exclusive video introduction will precede each screening by screenwriters Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter. Audience members will also receive a ticket to an advance word of mouth screening of THE SPECTACULAR NOW in their market.

Tai Chi Zero was
somewhat like the Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World of martial arts films, meshing an
assortment of comic book and video game references with a steampunk style and
traditional kung-fu action. The result was a melting pot of unbridled
entertainment, which was not appreciated by all. Attempting to readjust,
director Stephen Fung gives us a slowed down follow-up film with Tai Chi Hero, the second in what is
supposed to be a trilogy. The characters are more important in this film, though
the energy suffers some because of this. There is also a feeling of
incompleteness, as there was with the first film, putting a great deal of
pressure on the final film for delivering a satisfactory conclusion.

Lu Chan (Jayden
Yuan) has been accepted into the ChenVillage after marrying Yu
Niang (Angelababy), daughter of Master Chen (Tony Leung KA-Fai). This wedding
is interrupted by the arrival of Yu Niang’s brother, who is intent to interfere
for unknown reasons. The village also must fear the return of Yu Niang’s former
fiancé and a powerful man named Duke Fleming (Peter Stormare) who controls an
army. There are a few great action sequences, though it is a milder film from
the last one.

The Blu-ray
release of this Asian blockbuster includes only a making-of featurette as far
as extras are concerned. There is also an optional English dubbing option,
though I prefer the subtitles.

Far from an
original script or any ideas contained within it, 6 Souls manages to rise above
the terrible thanks to a cast of talented actors and director team that knows
how to utilize them. This is far from a memorable or even good film, but that
should already be expected from a movie that has been sitting on the shelf
since 2010. What is unexpected is how engaging a bad idea can be with Julianne
Moore as your protagonist. Even the most unbelievable scenarios are easier to
believe, and this actually allows some of the suspense to work as well.

The film follows
the investigation of forensic psychiatrist Dr. Cara Harding (Moore) into the multiple personalities of
Adam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Cara is brought in to interview Adam by her father
(Jeffrey DeMunn), who is also a psychiatrist of some sort, in order to debunk
the existence of split personalities. This is the typical scenario in which a
credible authority in disproving supernatural events is forced to face an
unexplainable situation. This particular situation is a man with several
personalities, all of which seem to be former murder victims.

Apparently this
film was originally titled Shelter when it played at festivals years back. It
sat on the Weinstein shelf collecting dust, as many adequate films often do,
even after directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein (simply appearing in credits
as Marlind & Stein) directed the latest in the Underworld franchise in
2012. Why this film remained unseen for so long is a mystery, but the choice to
release it straight to home entertainment is not. As I said before, this movie
is not great. It is just surprisingly watchable.

The Blu-ray
release includes no special features, unsurprisingly. The high definition is
not entirely necessary with a film like this, which delivers more chills than
thrills, but there are a few special effects in the film which are effectively
enhanced in this presentation.

No was the Chilean entry for Best
Foreign Film in the 85th Academy Awards, and was also one of the
final nominees. This should come as no surprise, considering how much the film
has in common with Best Picture winner, Argo.
Both are films based on true international political events which American
became involved in, primarily through the entertainment industry. No follows the marketing campaign which
changed a country in 1988, essentially by treating the campaign advertisements
with commercial rather than political sensibilities.

In 1988, Chile was run
by military dictator Augusto Pinochet until international pressure forced him
to call a plebiscite on his presidency. A vote on whether or not Pinochet will
stay in rule for another eight years is set, with the country simply to vote
yes or no. While the Yes side has unlimited funds and all of the control, the
opposition hires advertising executive René Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) for
the No campaign. Each side is given fifteen minutes a day to argue their case,
and Saavedra makes the bold choice to entertain and move the audience as if
selling a product, avoiding the more shocking footage and political discourse
most expected. This approach works, forcing the opposing side to adjust, hiring
Saavedra’s business partner (Alfredo Castro) as their advisor.

No is shot in
the outdated video support U-matic 3:4, equipment used around the time in
the1980s that the film’s events took place. The result is a narrative feature
that often appears and feels much more like a documentary. I found myself in a
state of confusion when first watching the film’s trailer, because I was so
convinced that the footage was old that the presence of Bernal confounded me
for more than a moment. Above all else, No
is a well-rounded and entertaining film. There is a nice mix of humor, suspense
and non-fiction, not unlike Argo.

The Blu-ray
release includes a commentary track with Bernal and director Pablo Larrain.
There is also Q&A footage with Bernal.

If you have ever
shopped at Food For Less or any of the other discount grocery stores and
wondered why all of the unhealthiest foods are also the cheapest, this
documentary will provide the answers. A
Place at the Table gives a precise amount of information in explaining why America
has so many people without food, despite being a country with plenty of it. This
doesn’t sound like light entertainment, but the human element makes this an
engaging documentary.

There is a major difference between
hunger in third world countries and the poverty experienced in America,
because some of the most impoverished are also becoming some of the most obese.
This is due to the type of food which is made affordable, mostly due to the
government’s choice to subsidize larger farms providing crops that will lead to
processed food rather than fresh.

As well as the bigger political
picture behind our country’s hunger issues, there are also more intimate human
stories within the narrative. We are brought into the seemingly average and
ordinary homes of families struggling to put food on the table each week, often
utilizing the help and charity of local organizations or government just to
survive. In one of the more harrowing sequences, a single mother realizes that
she is no better off financially once finding a job and losing the government
aid. The loss of one is not overpowered by the gain of the other, and she finds
that the stress of existing week to week is never-ending.

Documentaries have become a great
podium for a call to change, allowing the voice of the public to be heard as
well as providing information to those who are unaware. Unfortunately, there
are so many of these agenda-based documentaries in existence that it is hard to
believe much difference will come from one film. All cynicism aside, A Place at the Table provides a concise
and entertaining presentation of some very real problems in the United States.

The Blu-ray release includes deleted
scenes and interviews, as well as a commentary track with directors Lori
Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson, as well as producer Tom Colicchio. There are
also some cast and crew interviews and a few additional featurettes about
organizations attempting to help the problem.

The Gatekeepers
is not a film which holds the hand of the viewers, assuming them ignorant of
basic events and historical significance. Many documentaries these days merely
dumb down information and present it in an entertaining and agenda-based
manner. The Gatekeepers doesn’t provide a solid agenda or message, but instead
provides insight by humanizing the men at the top forced to deal with the
conflict in the most direct manner.

The Shin Bet is
Israel’s Secret Service, and the head of the Shin Bet is key to every decision
made in the war against terror, both Palestinian and Jewish. Six former heads
of this highly secretive agency agreed to be interviewed for this film, for the
first time reflecting publicly on decisions made, often controversially so. The
Gatekeepers stands above most documentaries with the exclusivity of the
interviews, and it is the humanizing element of talking with individuals that
allows us to see the conflict from a new perspective.

The six former
heads of Shin Bet have to answer for their actions, but they all seem prepared
for this. There are certain issues they have regrets about, while they stay
rigid on other decisions. Regardless, each answer humanizes them in a way which
was impossible before, allowing us to understand why decisions were made. The
Blu-ray includes a commentary and Q&A with director Dror Moreh.

The last couple
seasons of “Damages” fell slightly in quality. They kept the same format as the
first season, showing flash-forwards to clue us in on the impending damage
caused by the case currently being worked on. The first season made it clear
that one of the characters would be dead by the end of the season, and nearly
every season since has also resulted in a death which is ominously hinted at. The
final season repeats this technique, once again hinting that a significant character
will be dead. It works better this time around, perhaps because something is at
stake and because the mystery behind the situation is a little cleverer than
before, but this show was right to end on this note. There wasn’t anywhere left
for it to go.

The
ripped-from-the headlines cases take a backseat to the show’s rivalry melodrama
in this final season. Ethically questionable practicing of law at the firm
owned and run by Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) continues. This Emmy-award-winning
role showcases both the cold and wicked side of Close, as well as more engaging
and sentimental moments where we are meant to feel for her. Or at least
understand her better. Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) now works for herself,
running a small firm in need a chance to make a name. This chance along with
the opportunity for revenge comes in the form of a case against Patty Hewes in
court.

The case
involves an international cyber-hacker (Ryan Phillippe) who has made a name for
himself with a website that allows sanctuary for whistleblowers trying to get
information to the public with anonymity. This all changes when the website
leaks the personal information of its latest whistleblower (Jenna Elfman),
resulting in a death and an impending lawsuit. Patty also engages in a custody
battle with her son over her granddaughter, and Ellen helps her boyfriend
expose the ill treatment of soldier with post traumatic stress symptoms. The
series closes out admirably enough, though with less spectacle than you might
anticipate.

All ten episodes
are includes on three discs, along with special features. There are deleted
scenes and outtakes.

“Last Resort” is
an action/suspense series with a premise that had promise, but ultimately a
single season was enough for the storyline. As it is, this series feels as
though it is a storyline meant for a feature film, dragging out a single
scenario into a series of surprising twists and turns. Characters are fickle,
switching sides from episode to episode as a way of keeping the fixed cast of
players more interesting.

In the pilot
episode of the series we are introduced to the unrivaled U.S. ballistic submarine, Colorado, which is equipped with new
cloaking equipment and a stockpile of nuclear weapons. When Captain Marcus
Chaplin (Andre Braugher) and XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) receive an order to
fire nuclear missiles at Pakistan,
they question the order’s legitimacy and are fired on by another American
submarine.

Escaping to a
tropical island, the crew of the Colorado
find refuge and a base to stand their ground. They are seen as enemies of the United States,
but the power of the submarine’s weapons keeps other ships at bay. While it
becomes clear to some stateside that the current administration is corrupt,
Chaplin must fight his own personal war with his own country and the men he is
leading. Kendal spends the entire series teetering back and forth between
loyalty to his Captain and the urge to return home to his wife.

All thirteen
episodes of this brief series are captures on three discs, along with special
features. There are thirteen behind-the-scenes featurettes, exploring a wide
array of the show’s technical and creative elements.